Apparatus for steering and stopping ships.



Patented Feb; 5, l90l.

J. ALBARDA. APPARATUS FOR STEERING AND STOPPING SHIPS.

(Application filed Dec. 5, 1899.|

3 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Modal.)

m: mums PETERS co, wow-urns. WASHWGTON. o v

No. 667,482. Patented Feb. 5, l90l. J. ALBARDA.

APPARATUS FOR STEERING AND STOPPING SHIPS.

(Application filed Dec. 5, 1899.1 (No-Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m: "cams PETERS ca. Pusroumm WASHINDTON, n. c.

Patented Feb. 5, l90l.

' J. ALBABDA.

APPARATUS FOR STEERING AND-STOPPING SHIPS.

(Applicatiofi'filed Dec. 5. 1899.-

(No Model.)

In: ncmus PETERS cow PHcrro-umo wnsmnamu, a. Q

UNITED States JAN ALBARDA, OF APELDOORN, NETHERLANDS.

APPARATUS FOR STEERING AND STOPPING SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 667,482, dated February 5, 1901.

' A fi tio fil d December 5, 1899. Serial No. 739,268. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAN ALBARDA, doctor. of jurisprudence, a subject of the Queen of the Netherlands, residing at Apeldoorn, Eikenhof, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Steering and Stopping Ships, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention for improvements in apparatus for steering and stopping ships has for its object to provide apparatus which shall increase the effect of the steering and at the same time deaden the ships way when there is immediate danger of a collision.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in horizontal section illustrating the operation of side rudders in retarding the motion of ships. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view on a larger scale, showing the improved construction of side rudders to which my invention relates. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the same, partly in section, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows 2 2 in Fig. 3.

In addition to the usual rudder 2 the ship 1 is fitted with two other rudders 3, which are also preferably arranged in the stern part of the vessel, but may be placed in the middle of the same or in any other suitable place. Housings 5, built in the ship, serve for the reception of the two rudders 3, fixed on the shafts 4, which are vertically but may be obliquely placed, regard being had to the form of the stern part of the vessel. When not in use, the two side rudders remain entirely inside their housings 5 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that when the ship is moving the water flows smoothly over them. If the steering effect of the rudder 2 is to be increased in a long course through a narrow passage, the proper side rudder 3 would be worked to the extent appearing to be necessary simultaneously with the ordinary rudder 2, the rudder 3 emerging from its housing 5, and thus meeting the water flowing past the ship. The second rudder 3 remains during this time entirely within its housing.

Should the ship fitted with the two side rudders be in danger of collision with another vessel, both of the rudders 3 are turned around out of their housings 5-that is, until they assume the position indicated at the bottom of Fig. 1. In this position they deaden the ships way considerably, and as they are moved out of the vessel, so as to meet the current of the water, as shown in Fig. 1, offering a slight resisting surface thereto and also allowing it to flow off smoothly at the sides, they do not cause violent or sudden strain on the hull. Thus the rudders act at first not very powerfully, their effect increasing only gradually and only present their entire surface in opposition to the water when the ships rate of traveling has been considerably reduced by their action.

A special feature of the arrangement of the two rudders consists in the same being serviceable at the same time to deaden the ships way and to steer the ship. As shown in Fig. lby way of example,one of the additional rudders may be placed athwartships, the other, however, being left at an angle to the line of the ships keel. (See the dotted line in Fig. 1.) In this position the two rudders, as will be seen, considerably deaden the ships way; but as they still assume different angles in relation to the line of the keel the water is not diverted from the side by them with equal force, and consequently, owing to the current of water diverted in a side direction, the ship will turn on its vertical axis of gravity. Thus in case of necessity the effect of the ordinary rudder 2 can be considerably increased in this way when the ship is not moving so fast that the steering apparatus 2 alone is capable of forcibly turning the ship around. For working the two side rudders any preferred mechanism which is considered suitable may be employed. In Figs. 1 and 2 a screw 6 is provided for this purpose. This may be turned, for example, bymeans of a steam-engine 7. The screw engages with a screw-wheel segment 8, which is keyed on the shaft 4 0f the particular rudder. For starting the engine 7 the usual machinery and apparatus for such purposes may be employed. These can be placed in a special small pilot- -house on the bridge or in any other part of the upper deck considered suitable.

It has already been mentioned that itis desirable to move the side rudders 3 with increased angular velocity when they approach the athwartship position assumed in Fig. lat

the botton1that is, when by their graduallyincreased braking action they have considerably reduced the speed of the ship. In Figs. 3 and 4 my improved device for effecting a gradually-accelerated angular motion of the side rudders while the engine 7 continues to make the same number of revolutions is illustrated. The tooth-segment 8 is replaced by another tooth-segment 9, which is not made concentric but eccentric to its axis of rotation 10. The lever-arm of the segment 9 is thus continuously varied, and assuming a uniform rotation of the screw 6 there results a gradual]y-accelerated rotation of the shaft 10. As this shaft 10 is connected by means of the lever 11, the rod 12, and the lever 13 with the shaft 4, so as to transmit power, the uniformly-accelerated motion of the segment 9 is transmitted in the same manner or in ap proximately proportional manner to the rudder 3. In Fig. 3 the rudder is represented in the athwartship position by fully-drawn lines, the dotted lines indicating the position of rest of the whole apparatus. The engine 7 may be furnished with a speed-regulator for keeping it at a uniform number of revolutions. In View of the foregoing description Fig. 4 will be understood without any further explanation. As the screw-shaft 14 in working must execute an oscillating motion in the direction of the arrow 19 it cannot be firmly fixed in the usual manner, but its bearing must oscillate with it. In order to effect this, the segment 9 is furnished with a lever-arm 15, to which the two connecting rods 16 (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) are linked. The ends of the rods 16, turned away from the lever 15, take hold of a half axle-bearing 18, through the medium of two studs 17. This half axle-bearing so embraces the free end of the shaft 14 that the screw 6 remains constantly in engagement with the segment 9. The upper rod 16 slides on the rim of the segment 9, and thereby supports the screw-shaft 14 and keeps the screw 6 in proper engagement with the segment 9. In the same degree as the segment 9 turns in the one or the other direction it follows the lever 15, and therefore, through the medium of the rod 16, causes the screw 6 to keep in uniform engagement with the segment 9.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a pair of independent rudders mounted on opposite sides of a ship and eccentric gearing operating substantially as described to deflect each of said rudders outward with increasing angular velocity.

2. The combination of the rudder 3 shaft4 eccentric segment -gear 9, driving-screw 6 means for rotating said screw and mechanism connecting the segment 9 to the rudder 3, whereby a uniform rotation of the drivingscrew imparts an accelerating angular movement to the rudder, as explained.

3. The combination of the rudder 3, shaft 4, eccentric segment-gear 9, driving-screw 6 and means for rotating same, crank-shaft 10 on which segment 9 is keyed, cranks 11 and 13 on shafts 10 and 4 respectively and rod 12 connecting said cranks, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the rudder 3, shaft 4, crank-shaft 10, crank-arms 13 and 11, connecting-rod 12, eccentric segment-gear 9 on shaft 10, driving-screw 6, jointed drivingshaft 14,arm15,links 16 and bearing 18 for the outer end of the screw-shaft, connected to the links 16, whereby the driving-screw is maintained in proper engagement with the segment-gear in the eccentric movement of the latter, as explained.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signai ture in presence of two witnesses.

JAN ALBARDA.

Witnesses:

Aueusr SIEGFRIED DOCER, DAVID HENRI VAN BLEMAWYBERK. 

